


"We make a pretty good team, too"

by alienkid19



Category: Persona 5, Persona Series
Genre: Crushes, Friends to Lovers, Late Night Conversations, M/M, Mutual Pining, Pining, Sleepovers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-28
Updated: 2021-01-28
Packaged: 2021-03-14 15:09:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 824
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29048190
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alienkid19/pseuds/alienkid19
Summary: His thumb hovers over the keyboard for a moment.Ryuji: we’re done with requests for a little bit right? let’s do somethingAkira: like a date~?Ryuji almost chokes.Ryuji: don’t be stupid.Akira: ^w^Ryuji: u can spend the night tmrw if u wantmom’s on the night shiftAkira: i’d really like that
Relationships: Amamiya Ren/Sakamoto Ryuji, Kurusu Akira/Sakamoto Ryuji, Persona 5 Protagonist/Sakamoto Ryuji
Kudos: 35





	"We make a pretty good team, too"

Ryuji is surprised when Akira’s head falls to rest on his shoulder, followed by his entire upper body weight slumping against him. With a glance to Ann and Yusuke in the front seat to make sure they aren’t watching, he brings a hand up to rest on Akira’s head.

“Ryuji…” Akira murmurs, eyes closed and brow furrowed. Ryuji can’t help a small smile. Akira is close with each of the Thieves, but only Ryuji gets to see this side of him. It’s a privilege he’s more than a little protective of.

“What’s up, fearless leader?” he whispers, allowing his fingers to card through the wild locks ever so slightly. Akira huffs softly.

“‘M so tired, Ryuji.” His voice is quiet, almost lost under the rumble of Morgana’s engine as they quickly traverse Mementos’ many uneven pathways. Ryuji has to resist the urge to do something ridiculous like cradle the side of his face; there’s a line for how much best friends can touch each other and he’s almost certain that would be crossing it. Soon, Akira sits up straight and resumes a serious expression, and the moment is over. Ryuji feels hollow disappointment unfold in his chest; it’s for the best, because Morgana is climbing the final set of escalators before the exit and he doesn’t want to know what Ann and Yusuke would say if they saw, but the absence of Akira pressing into his side is sorely felt.

“Great work today, everyone,” Akira - or, rather, Joker - announces as they prepare to exit Mementos. “Please rest and take care of yourselves, I’ll let you know if we get any more requests in.” Ann lets out a huge yawn and stretches.

“You got it, Joker,” she shoots back, tired but bubbly as ever. “I’m gonna sleep like a rock tonight.”

“As will I,” Yusuke murmurs in agreement. He sounds even more out of it than usual, and Ryuji is certain he’s going to walk face-first into the brick wall until Ann jovially links arms with him and leads them to the exit. They had taken to leaving the Metaverse in small groups to avoid suspicion, reasoning that while two teenagers in the station late at night looked harmless enough, four almost certainly spelled trouble to any onlookers.

Chuckling fondly at Ann and Yusuke’s particular brand of eccentricity and Morgana’s bashful call of “goodnight Lady Ann,” Akira turns to Ryuji with a smile. Ryuji’s heart sinks a little. It’s not like he had been expecting Akira to leap into his arms the second their teammates left, but… well, he had kind of been hoping for it.

“Thanks for your hard work today, Skull. We couldn’t have done it without you,” Akira’s voice is so sweet and his smile so sincere it makes something in Ryuji’s chest flip.

“Y-yeah, of course man,” Ryuji stammers out. He takes the smallest of breaths to compose himself. “Look, are you doing okay? Earlier, you-”

“I’m okay,” Akira cuts him off quickly. He makes some kind of face, but Ryuji can’t tell very well with the mask. “Just a little tired, that’s all. I’m sorry about that.”

“What? No, dude, it’s okay, just-”

“We’ve probably waited long enough, we should get going, don’t you think?” _What the hell?_ Ryuji starts to protest but Akira is already making long-legged strides toward the exit, so he sighs and resolves to get answers out of him later.

Getting answers out of him later is easier than Ryuji thought it would be.

_(11:58pm)_

**_Akira:_ ** _sorry  
__i didn’t want to talk in front of morgana  
__he’s asleep now tho_

Ah. Ryuji rubs his eyes awake and sits up in bed to type out a response.

 **_Ryuji:_ ** _duh i shld have realized  
__sorry_

 **_Akira:_ ** _it’s ok_

 **_Ryuji:_ ** _what’s going on with you?_

Akira types for several minutes. Ryuji is on his second level of some racing game when the message comes through.

 **_Akira:_ ** _there’s just. so much going on, between school and phantom thieves and leblanc, i’m just. tired. idk.  
__and i miss you._

Ryuji doesn’t think he’s ever responded to a text message more quickly in his life.

 **_Ryuji:_ ** _i miss you too._

His thumb hovers over the keyboard for a moment.

 **_Ryuji:_ ** _we’re done with requests for a little bit right? let’s do something_

 **_Akira:_ ** _like a date~?_

Ryuji almost chokes.

 **_Ryuji:_ ** _don’t be stupid._

 **_Akira:_ ** _^w^_

 **_Ryuji:_ ** _u can spend the night tmrw if u want  
__mom’s on the night shift_

 **_Akira:_ ** _i’d really like that_

Ryuji lets out a breath he didn’t know he was holding.

 **_Ryuji:_ ** _hell yeah  
__see u tmrw :)  
__make sure you ditch that damn cat before u get here_

 **_Akira:_ ** _hey now  
__i owe both my life and my good test grades to that damn cat_

 **_Ryuji:_ ** _whatever man lol_ _  
good night_

 **_Akira:_ ** _gn :3c_

Ryuji lays back down with a grin practically splitting his face open, knowing he probably won’t get that much sleep before tomorrow.

**Author's Note:**

> hi uhhhhh thanks for reading! this is unfinished obvi, but it's been in my docs for weeks and i needed to post something for the sake of my creative wellbeing. concrit, requests, and hate mail are all welcome. still haven't finished royal tho so no spoilers pls ;-; anyway luv u n hope to hear from u in the comments uwu


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